Macross 2012: Insurrection
by RougeBaron
Summary: From Heroes to Outlaws: a secret conspiracy within UN Spacy turned Hikaru, Misa, Max and Milia into public enemies number one. Can they discover the truth? Can they clean their reputation before Global catch up with them? Will they survive? R&R please.
1. Chapter 1

**Macross 2012: Insurrection**

When you're through with life and all hope is lost  
Hold out your hand 'cause friends will be friends  
right till the end  
_- Queen_

**Prologue:** Ah, how nice is the air outside BattleTech universe!  
This is officially my fourth attempt to write Macross fanfic, but the idea was not new at all. I toyed around the premise of my first Macross fanfic and turned it into a more efficient storyline. On the first attempt, I tried to make Hikaru - Misa relationship a little complicated, and that didn't work very well. I guess I'm not good at romance fanfic at all. So there will be no romance in this story. This story is all about friendship. It is set in 2012 (as the title suggested) as a "could-have-been" kind of story. There are several versions of Macross Timeline regarding the lives of Hikaru, Misa, Max and Milia, and I'm following Macross Compendium. If there are some discrepancies with the "official" timeline, please let me know.

_**Macross**_ and all its components are copyright of Shoji Kawamori, Big West, Studio Nue, and Bandai Entertainment. All rights reserved.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_**UN Spacy Research Facility, Moon,  
**__**July 1, 2012. **_

Lieutenant Milia Jenius gazed at the beautiful blue Earth through the window. With her family at Earth, this procession had become her ritual every morning, before she went to work. Her squadron had been transferred to guard UN Spacy Research Facility at Moon for 6 months, and although she didn't like it, Max urged her to accept the job. _It would be good to earn sympathy from the brass_, Max always said.

"What are you doing today, Max?" Milia hummed, watching the big blue orb turned slowly. She imagined her husband working on his _Valkyrie_, or perhaps working behind a computer, or possibly just staying at home, waiting for her return. She missed him. She couldn't wait to smell his hair, touch his hands, and kiss his lips.

Suddenly the warning sound blasted. Blinding flash blitzed from the corner of the cafe, and technicians joined the guard's stampede, filling the corridors with frantic runs. Milia quickly ran to the command center, her breath catching up with her legs. Arriving at the command center, a frenzied scene greeted her. Dozens of tactical officers screamed and chattered over the comlinks, switching from infra-red to visual imaging. Milia caught a glimpse of what was going on, but she thought she would ask for more information before she made her move.

"What is going on?" she asked one of the tactical officers.

"We spotted intruders, _el-tee_," he answered. "Several wings of unidentified fighters are heading this way in attack formation. They won't answer our call."

Milia inspected the screen, showing several fighters that looked like VF-1S, but with slightly different modification. They were all painted in black. Through her career at UN Spacy Milia never knew if there was a squadron with black camo. Pirates, maybe? Perhaps Max would know, but there was no time for asking.

"All available pilots, man your battlestations!" Milia spoke through the PA. "This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill! We are under attack!"

Milia sprinted to the hangar, where technicians and pilots mounted weapons on her red VF-1J. She grabbed her helmet, climbed into the cockpit and started her engine. A soft tremor enveloped the cockpit as the turbine blasted, spitting fire from the nozzles. Milia gave a clear sign to the techs, then throttled up. Her fighter jetted in the short runway, then soared to the sky.

"Unidentified squadron, this is Lieutenant Milia Jenius, UN Spacy," Milia hailed the intruders. "Disengage and state your intention, or we will open fire!" When the attacking force didn't reply, Milia readied her guns and called for her wingmen, "Rally on me! Delta-attack formation! Keep them out of the research facility!"

The unidentified attackers broke formations and fired their missiles at the facility. Traces of white smoke zipped in the dark void, raining down on the facility. Three missiles hit the main dome, ripping the hull, exposing million-dollar research material to void. Fireballs blossomed, tossing concrete bits and metal splinters into the blackness. Two missiles fell on an oxygen tank, creating a giant bonfire that illuminated the dark environment.

"They're going for the research facility!" Milia broadcast her distress call. "Fire at will! Fire at will!" She turned her _Valkyrie_ and fired her missile on a black fighter. Her missile slammed into the fighter's nozzle, and the black fighter disintegrated into a fireball.

Two black fighters lined up behind her, showering her with lasers. Milia yanked her joystick backward, making her _Valkyrie_ turned in a half loop. The black fighters quickly spread out, but Milia lined up with one of them. The fighter crisscrossed its path, trying to throw Milia off her firing arc, but Milia stayed on. Somehow she recognized the flying pattern of the black fighter, and the realization made her stomach churn.

"These guys are Zentradi!" Milia screamed. "Mayday, mayday, Moon Research Facility is being attacked by a renegade Zentradi squadron!" She mashed the trigger, and a long stream of ballistics and laser beams clobbered the black fighter in front of her. The engine erupted, and the fighter spun uncontrollably before plunged to Moon's surface.

Nevertheless, the Zentradi black fighters managed to fire their missiles at the power generator. The box-like generator blasted in colorful fire. Pieces of burning metal rained down on Moon surface, some floated to the space. With the generator knocked out, lights went out on the entire facility. Back-up batteries kicked in, but they were only good to power up radars and living supports.

"Eat this!" Milia fired her missile on yet another black fighter. The Zentradi fighter burst flares to deflect Millia's missile, but Milia fired her lasers. The brilliant beams incised the black fighter's right wing. Smoke billowed from the cut, and the fighter staggered to stay afloat. Milia lined up behind the fighter and fired her last missile. The missile cleaved the fighter and exploded, ripping the fighter apart.

Milia's squadron fought hard and managed to shoot down the rest of the Zentradi black fighters. Milia switched to _Gerwalk_ mode and inspected the research facility. The damage was severe, and Milia knew the techs, guards, and scientists had to be evacuated. She sent message through general frequency, "This is Lieutenant Milia Jenius. Moon Research Facility had been damaged, and total evacuation is imminent. Nearby units, please assist."

"Stand by, Lieutenant, this is _UNS Nelson_, we are 10 hours away from Moon. We can assist."

"Thank you _Nelson_," Milia replied. She leaned on her cockpit and thought, "Who are those guys? What did they want?"

* * *

_**UN Spacy HQ, Macross City,  
**__**July 5, 2012**_

Bruno Global sat in his chair, reviewing the report about the attack on the research facility. Two Intelligence Bureau officers sat in front of him, waiting him to finish reading their report. Global sighed as he came to their conclusion. "So the attackers were Zentradi," Global said. "What do they want?"

"That is still under investigation," one of the intelligence officers replied. "But we believe that Lieutenant Milia Jenius is collaborating with them. She is a Zentradi, and from her flying record it is clear that she let several attackers slip away so they could bomb the research facility. UN Spacy lost millions of dollars."

"That is absurd!" Global snapped. "Milia Jenius killed five Zentradi attackers, the highest number of all her squadron! Are you telling me that she killed her own friends?"

"That will be included in the investigation," the intelligence officer replied. "But we demand that you arrest Lieutenant Jenius. If you refuse, we will find someone who will, and it will look bad on your resume."

Global stared at the intelligence officers, frustrated at the situation they put him in. But in all honesty, he thought that Milia was best put under his custody than theirs. Nobody knew what inside the intelligence's mind, and he wouldn't risk Milia's safety. He pressed a button, and when the face of his adjutant sprung on the small screen on his desk, he spoke with a heavy voice, "Captain Vito, recall Lieutenant Milia Jenius and put her under custody."

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_**Matahari Resort, Florida Keys,  
**__**August 12, 2012**_

The afternoon sun shone brightly, and the band sang an upbeat tune, getting everybody in the mood of dancing. Hikaru sat on a bench chair, watching the band while bobbing his head once in a while. He wore a plain t-shirt with a colorful hula shirt and a matching pants, _pina colada_ on his right hand. Misa sat next to him, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a bikini and a long sarong that she wrapped around her waist. Her left hand hooked around Hikaru's right arm, and she smiled as her new husband bobbed and weaved his head, enjoying the music.

"-If you like _pina colada-_" Hikaru sang a part of the song, grinning at the sweet irony that he was, indeed, drinking _pina colada_. "I love this song."

"I can tell," Misa replied, almost sarcastically.

"Are you happy?" Hikaru said, leaning toward his new wife.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Misa smiled. "You make me happy."

Hikaru smiled and leaned forward to kiss Misa. But his advanced was suddenly cut short. A man suddenly stood in front of him, blocking his view. He was out of place, wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a vest with UN-Spacy emblem on the right chest. His baseball cap and black sunglasses covered most of his features, but the long green hair gave away his true identity almost immediately.

"Max?" Hikaru frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk," Max replied, a sense of urgency adorned his voice. "There is a grave matter."

"Oh come on man!" Hikaru bemoaned. "This is my honeymoon! Do you have to do this now?"

"It's about Milia," Max lowered his voice, "and a possible conspiracy within UN Spacy."

"What?" Hikaru and Misa quickly got up. "What conspiracy?"

"Not here," Max whispered, gesturing that somebody may have been watching them. "In my room."

Without waiting, Max walked out of the bar. Hikaru and Misa looked at each other, but they knew they had no choice. Max and Milia were dear friends to them, and their well-being was more important than honeymoon. So Hikaru and Misa quickly followed Max to his room.

As soon as they got in, Max dead-bolted the door and turned on the TV to drown their voice. He grabbed a chair and quickly briefed Hikaru and Misa that had been waiting anxiously. "A month ago a group of renegade Zentradi attacked UN Spacy research facility at Moon. Milia was stationed there and her squadron killed every single one of the attackers. But the research facility was critically damaged, and UNS blamed Milia for the loss. They threw her into jail. I'm gonna get her out, and I want you to back me up."

"So you traveled this far, popping up in my honeymoon to drag me to hit UN Spacy?" Hikaru said. "Are you out of your mind? You can't just break a jail and free your wife! I understand that she might be framed, but there are certain ways to do a thing like this! We're not living in the wild west, Max!"

"Listen to me," Max retorted. "There's something not right about this situation. UNS accused Milia of collaborating with the renegade Zentradi. But nobody mentioned that the attackers were Zentradi, until Milia pointed out the fact. Somebody used her report to set up a plot and frame her. I think UN Spacy is trying to hide something, and use Milia as a cover-up. I'm afraid soon enough provost will swarm me, too."

"Now let's not rush our judgment," Misa tuned in. "I know you're worried, but we can't accuse UNS. You don't have solid proof for your accusation. Have you told Bruno Global?"

"Global's the one that threw her in jail," Max replied. "He doesn't have solid proof against Milia, but he imprisoned her nonetheless. I think Global is a part of this plot. Others were just the same. They shut me off from any investigation regarding Milia. Come on, Misa. If it happens to Hikaru, you'll do the same thing. Trust me, something's not right, and I am worried about Milia's life. I'm gonna get her out before something bad happen to her in jail. But I can't do this alone. I need you."

Hikaru and Misa looked at each other. As delusional as it sounded, they knew Max wouldn't rush his judgment. Max had a sharp perception of any situation, and if he was this desperate, then there should be some truth in his explanation, if not all. "Alright, we're with you," Misa sighed. "How can we help?"

"I'm gonna need a _Valkyrie_," Max said.

"Two," Hikaru replied. "Somebody has to watch your back when you free Milia. I'll be your wingman."

"Thanks," Max nodded. "But stealing a Val is doable. Two might be hard, if not impossible."

"Leave that to me," Misa joined in. "My security clearance allows me to reach places far beyond where you can. You may not have to steal at all."

"I understand that you are risking your lives and your careers to help us," Max said. "Our lives are yours."

"Hey, if you're right," Hikaru replied, "if somebody is truly scapegoating Milia, I wanna be the one that punch him in the face. Friends will be friends," he put his fist forward, "right 'till the end."

"Right 'till the end," Max and Misa replied, and put their hands on Hikaru's fist. "Right 'till the end."

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Note**: Thanks to **_SulliMike23_** and **_reeven_** for the review. I'll try to be a regular here after my BattleTech saga ends. And I did check Macross Frontier. I love the mecha designs. Hopefully Harmony Gold (or anyone that has the copyright to distribute it in the US) broadcast it soon.

* * *

_**UN Spacy Headquarters,  
**__**August 15, 2012**_

It was a typical morning. Max, Hikaru, and Misa walked through the long corridor toward the hangar. People walked by them, smiling and nodding at them, with occasional salutes. Some pilots shot a curious stare at Max, probably intrigued by the arrest of Milia. But Max stayed calm as if nothing happened, and followed Hikaru and Misa to the hangar.

Arriving at the hangar, Misa proceeded to the ranking officer and said, "I need two VF-1D's available in five minutes, fully loaded."

"We can't put live ammunition on Vals without clear authority," the officer asked. "Whose order is it?"

"Mine," Misa drew her ID card. "Commander Misa Hayase."

"Akh! I apologize Commander, I didn't know," the chief saluted clumsily. "Right away, Ma'am."

The chief quickly barked at his subordinates, pulling them out of their regular job and asked them to work extra on the two VF-1D's Misa ordered. Two trucks towed the 2-seated _Valkyries_ out of the repository, and the technicians mounted missiles and equipments in record time. In 5 minutes, the two variable fighters were ready.

"As you wish, Commander," the officer pointed out the fighters, then handed Misa some paperwork. "Just sign the release form."

Misa hesitated for a moment, but she knew without her signature Hikaru and Max wouldn't be able to take the _Valkyries_ outside. She signed it and walked toward the fighters. Hikaru and Max had changed to their jumpsuits, and Hikaru assisted her to take the passenger seat.

"We're going to bust our careers for Max," Hikaru chimed as he strapped on his helmet. "Are you sure?"

"If we're in Max's situation, he won't hesitate to help us," Misa replied. "Yes, I'm ready."

Hikaru started the engine and gave Max a thumb, signaling he was ready. Max took off first, leaving two trails of white smoke behind. Hikaru throttled up and took the fighter to taxi, then yanked his joystick behind. The fighter took off.

"Ground control, this is Commander Misa Hayase flying on a patrol mission," Misa contacted ground control. "I need the location where Lieutenant Miliya Jenius is contained."

There was a commotion behind intermittent static, and after several minutes of confusion, her speaker crackled, "This is Captain Vito. Please elaborate your specific need of Lieutenant Jenius' position."

"I do not have the authorization to disclose my intention to anybody, Captain," Misa replied, faking agitation. "If you guys ask too many questions, enemy units might have occupied Macross City by the time I finish answering your questions. Just send Lieutenant Jenius' current position."

"Yes, Ma'am," Captain Vito answered, then a second later a coordinate system appeared on the screen.

"Thank you Captain," Misa said, then changed to private frequency. "Max, she's at Compound C, 3rd floor, cell number 15. It's a corner chamber facing east."

"Copy that," Max started to fly low. "Keep flying high. I'll take Milia alone."

Two unsuspecting VF-1A's passed by and gave a wing-tip salute to Max. He waved in response, and glided gently toward the building complex. When he arrived at the scene, he switched to _Gerwalk_ and carefully aimed his cannon at the building corner. With a gentle tap on the trigger, he shot the corner twice. Concrete blocks flew in every direction, followed by a cloud of dust as part of the building collapsed. For a moment Max was scared that Milia might be caught in the collapsing structure. But as the dust cloud vanished, he could see Milia standing in the middle of her cell, looking at him with her round, unbelieving eyes.

Alarm blarred, so Max knew he didn't have much time. He parked his _Gerwalk_ close to the collapsing hole, extended the arm of his _Gerwalk_, and opened the canopy. "Come on!" he yelled, "Just get into the cockpit!"

Milia was stunned. She couldn't believe that Max would do such a reckless stunt. But no matter how crazy it was, she knew he had a good reason to do it. She quickly jumped to the _Gerwalk's_ arm, and with two more jumps, she slid into the cockpit behind Max. "Are you through of front door?" she quipped, strapping herself on the seat.

"Heads up, Max," Hikaru's voice suddenly boomed into the cockpit. "The two VF-1A's are turning around and coming hot in your tail."

"You bring Hikaru?" Milia stammered. "Max, what are you getting us into?"

"No time to explain," Max switched to fighter mode and throttled up. "Hikaru, get them off my back."

"No problem," Hikaru switched to _Gerwalk_ and sprayed his automatic cannon, strafing the two VF-1A's. He intentionally missed them, but the two fighters thought Hikaru was shooting at them for real. They took evasive maneuvers and broke their chase, giving Max and Milia enough time to climb. However, the two VF-1A's turned and painted Hikaru's _Valkyrie_ with heat-seeking radar. Missiles burst from their launchers.

"Shots fired! Shots fired!" Hikaru screamed. "Max, they shot at us!" He quickly changed to fighter mode and hit his afterburner. His _Valkyrie_ roared past buildings, two heat-seeking missiles hot in pursuit. Hikaru jerked his joystick up and fired his decoys. Dozens of flares burst from his fighter, creating a wall of fireworks. One missile struck the decoys and exploded in the air, but the other one slipped past the decoys and continued pursuing Hikaru's jet.

"Damn, I can't shake this one!" Hikaru yelled, firing his afterburner like a madman.

"I'll take that," Max lined up behind the missile and let loose a hail of ballistics at the missile. The missile erupted, sending shockwave that almost took Hikaru's jet down. But Hikaru grabbed his joystick as hard as he could, stabilizing his fighter, then continued blasting off away from the complex.

The two VF-1A's continued its pursuit, now targeting Max with their heat-seeking missiles. Max's proximity alarm blasted, reporting four heat-seeking missiles latching on to his tail. But Max expertly crisscrossed his path, and just as the missiles were about to hit him, he fired his decoys. The missiles hit the flare wall and exploded mid air.

"Go into the cloud!" Hikaru yelled, whipping his _Valkyrie_ to maximum speed toward a cloud formation.

"Right behind you," Max replied. "I'm jamming their radars. The VF-1A's should be lost."

Hitting afterburners, the two VF-1D's plunged into the cloud. The pursuing VF-1A's followed Hikaru and Max, but the cloud obscured their vision. With no visual contact and no radars, the VF-1A couldn't find Hikaru and Max behind the cloud. They returned to the headquarters.

"We've lost them," Max stated.

"That's a hard one," Hikaru replied. "The entire UN Spacy should hunt us down. We need to find a place to hide, far beyond their radar range."

"I think I know a place," Milia tuned in. "Max, remember when we flew over China a couple months ago?"

"Hm hm," Max smiled. "Hikaru, Misa, I hope you're not scared of wolves and leopards. Follow my lead."

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_**UN Spacy Headquarters,  
**__**August 16, 2012**_

"Captain Vito! How did this happen?"

Bruno Global let his steam out, unleashing his rage upon Captain Vito who folded under his wrath. The report of Hikaru, Max, and Misa busting Milia out of jail made it to the highest UN Spacy brass, and rumors had buzzed that they would recall Global. He had a feeling that Max might give it a try, but he didn't expect Hikaru and Misa to stand behind Max. Clearly, his miscalculation could cost him his career.

"It was Commander Hayase, Sir," Captain Vito replied. "She said it was a patrol run. She signed the release form. Nobody thought she was lying, Sir!"

"She flew with her husband in a patrol run! How hard was it to see that she was up to something?" Global roared. "You're dismissed, Captain Vito! Claudia! Get in here!"

Claudia LaSalle rushed into Global's room, trading look with Captain Vito at the door. She felt sorry for the captain that had to shoulder the responsibility alone. She couldn't believe Hikaru, Max, and Misa would break the jail and attack their own friends. But Misa was her best friend. She knew Misa wouldn't normally do such a thing, so she had a feeling that something was going wrong.

"Claudia," Global said, puffing a cloud of smoke from his pipe, "have _ARMD 03 Enterprise_ ready. And contact the Skull Squadron. Have them transferred to the _Enterprise_. We're going to hunt Commander Hayase and her band of scoundrels."

"But Sir," Claudia complained, "They are our friends. We shed blood and tears together. How could you expect to hit Hikaru, Misa, Max and Milia? With the Skull Squadron, nonetheless?"

"Claudia, we can't take risk," Global replied. "Milia's investigation is not complete, and Misa, Hikaru and Max knew that they were accessories to Milia's treason if they helped her. They did it anyway."

"Possible treason, Sir," Claudia interjected. "Like you said, the investigation is not complete yet."

"I don't have time to argue with you, Claudia!" Global snarled. "UN Spacy will crucify me if I don't get Milia back! Get the _Enterprise_ ready! We'll leave in 24 hours!"

* * *

_**Gobi Desert, China,  
**__**August 16, 2012**_

Hikaru, Misa, Max and Milia sheltered inside a cave, away from the cruel cold wind of Gobi Desert. The rock formation also hid the two VF-1D's from naked eyes. The cave was a perfect hideout for them. Hikaru made fire from debris that scattered abundantly around the cave, and they sat around the fire.

"You don't have to do this," Milia said, looking at Misa and Hikaru interchangeably. "You'll lead a fugitive life for the rest of your lives."

"We don't believe that, and we don't believe you're a traitor either, Milia," Hikaru responded. "So let's drop this talk about career and fugitive life. Why don't we start with what happened on the moon?"

"The research facility was attacked by unknown force," Milia said. "Their fighters looked like VF-1S, painted in black, but were not registered as known fighter on my computer. They did not bear any insignia, so I couldn't see what squadron they belonged to. Their flying pattern suggested that they were Zentradi."

"Pirates?" Misa suggested.

"Could be, but if they were pirates, they should've stolen something," Hikaru replied. "They didn't, did they?"

"No, they just came and destroyed the facility," Milia stated. "They didn't even bother to put up a fight with my squadron. We destroyed the attackers with ease, as if their single intention was..." Milia paused a moment before continuing, "... to destroy the research facility."

"What kind of research was there?" Max turned to Misa.

"Biochemical," Misa replied. "The reason why UN Spacy did it at moon was to minimize pollution and the possibility of leaking. I don't know the details."

"Maybe they are doing something we're not supposed to know," Hikaru hypothesized. "Something went wrong, and the attack was initiated by UN Spacy to clean up their own mess. The Zentradi scheme was just a cover-up. Milia was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Possibly," Max tuned in. "But what could've they done that they need Milia as a scapegoat?"

"We have to find it out," Misa concluded. "We have to go there ourselves and see what really happened."

"With two VF-1D's?" Milia scoffed. "As I may point out, the entire UN Spacy are on our tails right now. What can we do with two _Valkyries_?"

"I have more resources than two _Valkyries_," Misa smiled. "Let us rest for tonight. Tomorrow we'll find a phone connection. I'm sure I can find us a space ship for our escapade."

"With UN Spacy sniffing the entire world, it may be a little rough," Max pointed out.

"To UN Spacy, I may become a fugitive. But to some people," Misa winked, "I'm still Commander Hayase."

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Note:** Fraser, nice to see you here. It's a fine and different atmosphere. Reeven, thank you again for your support.  
SulliMike, _AMRD 03 Enterprise_ is canon. I took it off Macross Compendium. But of course, who wouldn't want to have a big ship named _Enterprise_?

* * *

_**Kathmandu, Nepal  
**__**August 17, 2012. **_

The crowded city of Kathmandu served as an excellent cover for Hikaru, Misa, Max and Milia. They traded their UN Spacy uniform with colorful Nepalese attires, then mingled with the locals. They walked past Nepalese policemen and UN Spacy operatives, and they never found out their true identity.

Right in front of a cafe stood a public telephone. Misa put in some coins and punched in the numbers. Hikaru looked at his wife and said, "You know, since we're fugitive, UN Spacy might've tapped the telephone line. You can drag whoever you're calling into our problem."

"Don't worry, I'm using a secure number," Misa replied. When the line was established, Misa waited until somebody picked up the phone on the other end. "Claudia?"

"Misa? Dammit, Misa, what on earth are you doing?" Claudia blabbered. "Global has assigned the _Enterprise_ to track you down. He's bringing in the Skull Squadron. We're leaving in 10 minutes."

"Aw, hell," Misa cursed under her breath. "It's Hikaru's squadron."

"Didn't you think this was gonna happen when you busted Milia out of jail?" Claudia yelled. "You know you're putting your life in this situation, yet you still did it! What is happening there, Misa? Where are you?"

"I can't give you that information, but you have to trust me on this," Misa said. "Claudia, we believe that Milia is being framed. There is a possible conspiracy inside UN Spacy..."

"Whoa, hold on! Are you sure?" Claudia stammered. "Misa, this is big. You have to be sure before you make a statement like that."

"That's what we're going to find out. We're going to visit the research facility, and we'll need something that can take us to Moon. Claudia, you're the only person I can trust. I don't know where else I can turn to."

"Misa, I trust you, but you're asking the impossible," Claudia sighed. "The entire UN Spacy is out there looking for you, and I can't hold them back. Just return home and discuss this with Bruno Global. Runaway won't get you anywhere."

"Bruno Global might be a part of this conspiracy. No, Claudia, we can't trust anybody. We have to have a solid evidence of what's going on before we can go public. We have to go to Moon. I think the answer lies there."

"Alright," Claudia exhaled in exasperation. "Tell me your location. I might be able to help you."

Misa hesitated for a while. If the phone line was tapped, UN Spacy would find them. But she didn't have any other choice. She trust Claudia, and she knew Claudia wouldn't double-cross her. Looking left and right, she whispered, "Kathmandu."

"OK, listen carefully," Claudia said, half whispering. "There is a UN Spacy base near K2 summit. The base has a small ship, equipped with the new VF-4 _Lightning_ variable fighters. The captain owes me his life, but to use his service, you have to say a password: _Daffodils In The Snow_. Only he and I know about the password, so if you say the password, he knows that you're in serious need and I send you to him."

"Thanks Claudia," Misa said.

"Good luck, and be careful. We may cross path, and I am sorry if I can't help you by then."

"That's alright, Claudia, you've done everything you could."

Putting the handset to the phone box, Misa turned to Hikaru, Max, and Milia that had been waiting impatiently. "Come on, get your gear," she said. "Claudia gave us a ship to the moon."

They went back to their _Valkyries_ and flew encircling K2 summit. It wasn't long before Max and Hikaru spotted the hidden UN Spacy base. They turned and landed inside the hangar. Several armed men raised their weapons as Hikaru, Misa, Max and Milia climbed down the fighter. A short stocky man came to the front, sucking a big cigar while grabbing his pistol. He was clearly the ranking officer of the base.

"Commander Hayase," he said. "Your reputation precedes you, although I didn't hear good news about you lately. My crews will escort you to the mess hall while waiting..."

"Instead, find me some _Daffodils In The Snow_," Misa said.

The man signaled his soldiers to put their guns down, then saluted and shook Misa's hand. "Captain Izumi, UNS _Dauntless_, at your service. How can I be your service, Commander?"

"Fly us to the Moon," Misa replied. "And don't forget the _Lightnings_. We don't know what we're going to find up there, so I want the best protection possible."

* * *


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_**UNS Dauntless, Moon Orbit,  
**__**August 22, 2012**_

Misa, Hikaru, Max, Milia, and Captain Izumi gathered around the screen showing the damaged research facility. A number of _Valkyries_ patrolled the area, and from their flying pattern they knew that the UN Spacy was in full alert. More _Valkyries_ flew air-superiority sorties around the moon, looking for possible follow-up attack by the unidentified force.

"UN Spacy certainly regards this as a very serious matter," Hikaru stated. "Which brings me the question: what is that facility doing? Milia worked there for sometime. She should be able to shed some light."

"I didn't think it was a critical job," Milia replied. "Even after the attack, I still thought it was just a regular facility. My arrest prompted me to the idea that this place is not just a regular facility."

"Maybe this is not the right place to start," Captain Izumi tuned in. "UN Spacy guards it like trigger-happy musclemen guarding Lynn Minmay. Maybe we can start with the attacker."

"_Valkyries_ should not be far away from their mother ship, especially when they were in large number," Misa thought. "Hikaru, Max, Milia, recon the area. Run a 5-point patrol run, then come back. If you're lucky, you'll find the unidentified mother ship."

"Roger,"Hikaru, Max and Milia replied in unison, then proceeded to the hangar.

The hangar held four new VF-4 _Lightnings_, still fresh from the factory. Hikaru, Max and Milia could still smell the new paint when they arrived at the hangar. They changed to their jumpsuits when the technicians readied the fighters. They climbed to the cockpits and started the engine. Azure tongues of fire licked from the nozzles as the turbine whirled. Hikaru gave a thumb to the technicians who quickly cleared the runways. The bay door opened, and Hikaru jetted into the cold space. Max and Milia followed close behind.

"Guys, I've plotted a 5-point run," Hikaru stated. "I'll take point. You two follow me."

"Roger that," Max and Milia replied uniformly.

The three _Lightnings _followed the path that Hikaru plotted, diving deeper into space. But indeed, they didn't see many things in deep space other than debris from destroyed ships during Space War, and small rocky objects. There was no sign of a renegade squadron. The three _Lightnings_ drifted farther and farther away from _Dauntless_, but they had yet to see any single fighter not belonging to UN Spacy.

"Maybe we patrol in the wrong side of the space," Milia said. "Let's go back to _Dauntless_ to reload."

"Just a bit longer," Hikaru replied. "I sense something close."

"Hikaru, our fuel is barely enough to make it to _Dauntless_," Max interjected. "A couple more minutes and we'll be stuck in space."

"Give me two more minutes," Hikaru. "If we don't see anything in two minutes, we go straight home."

Two minutes passed quickly, and just as they grew frustrated, something appeared on their radars. They scanned the object, and it was registered as an old space barge. From the outside, the barge looked like it had been abandoned for some time, but Hikaru had a strong feeling that there was more to it than just an old structure.

"Misa, we have visual contact with an old space barge," Hikaru reported. "I'm going to check it out."

"Proceed with caution," Misa replied, a bit worry. "There might be hostile units hiding behind there. I'm bringing _Dauntless_ to rendezvous with you."

"Copy that," Hikaru cut off the communication line with _Dauntless_. "Let's investigate, but be careful of possible bogeys. Keep your guns hot. Might as well go for _Battroid_ mode."

Max and Milia followed Hikaru to switch to _Battroid_ mode, then glided slowly toward the barge. It was a big box-like structure, possibly damaged and abandoned during the Space War. Traces of bullet holes were visible on the wall, and burning marks adorned the structure. But despite the battle scars, the barge was intact and in good condition.

Suddenly the radar blasted, proclaiming proximity alert. No less than a dozen black _Battroids_ jumped out of the barge, guns pointing at the three _Lightnings_. They had no markings or insignias on their _Battroids_, and the attack formation clearly exemplified their heritage: they were Zentradi pilots riding UN Spacy war machines.

"There they are!" Milia roared. "These are the attackers of the research facility! Blast them to bits!"

"We can pull this off, Hikaru, just like the old times," Max pointed out, readying his weapons.

"Hold fire! Hold fire!" Hikaru screamed. "If we destroy them, we'll do UN Spacy a favor. We'll never know what's behind the whole conspiracy. I'll try to reason with them. Stay alert and watch my back." He switched to general frequency and hailed the black _Battroids_, "This is Captain Hikaru Ichijyo, UN Spacy Skull Squadron. We mean you no harm. Please identify yourself."

"Captain Ichijyo," a coarse female voice answered Hikaru's call. "How does it feel to be an outcast?"

"Who are you?" Hikaru asked. "Why are you hiding here? Why did you attack the research facility?"

"It's something you don't want to know," the female said. "Just go back to Macross City and celebrate your life. Let us deal with this our way."

"Ah, no, that's not gonna happen," Hikaru scoffed. "When UN Spacy blamed Milia for something that you did, I made it my business to sort things out. Milia is my friend, and I will not stop until I know what secret you are holding. So it's better you spill it out, or I will raze you down until none of you are left alive."

"Look around, Captain Ichijyo. You are outnumbered 4 to 1. Do you think you can beat us?"

"With Max and Milia on my side?" Hikaru chuckled. "Not a doubt. So what's it gonna be?"

A long lull ensued, making Hikaru, Max and Milia nervous. After almost 3 minutes, the woman came back to Hikaru, "Maybe we can invite you to have a cup of tea. I find it relaxing, especially when I talk about genocide."

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_**Abandoned Space Barge, Space,**_

_**August 22, 2012 **_

The interior of the barge had been transformed into adequate living condition, although electrical wirings hung from the ceiling and water seeped from cracks on the wall. The air purifier didn't work properly, evident in the putrid air inside the barge. But dozens of _miclones_ that lived there didn't seem to mind. They lived their lives as if they had all the luxury of SDF-1.

"Who are you?" Misa asked, cringing by the sight of the living condition. "And how can you live like this? This is not satisfactory by any health standard."

"We are the Black Hammer squadron," a woman, obviously the leader of the pack, explained. "My name is Lieutenant Aylene. My Zentradi fellows and I defected to UN Spacy by the end of 2009. UN Spacy created the Black Hammer as a Black-Op squadron. We did the dirty work, putting down Zentradi insurrections, killing our own kin. You probably haven't heard of Black Hammer squadron before. That's because we never existed. UN Spacy will disavow any knowledge of us."

"Alright, what's with the research facility?" Milia asked impatiently.

"UN Spacy is developing a new biological weapon, a virus called _Nemea_. This virus is totally harmless to human, but extremely deadly to _miclones_ like us. One _cee-cee_ of that virus can wipe out an entire colony of _miclones_ within 3 minutes."

"What?" Hikaru jumped off his seat. "Why don't I know about this? Do you know?" he turned to Misa.

"No," Misa frowned, "although it makes sense that they develop this virus at moon, far from prying reporters. The research facility is isolated, so the damage would be minimal if something goes bad."

"That doesn't make sense," Max jumped in. "UN Spacy asked Milia to guard the research facility. Why would they ask a _miclone_ to guard a weapon of mass destruction for _miclones_?"

"They asked Milia," Aylene replied, pausing for effect, "so if something goes awry, she will not survive."

"Oh my god," Milia put her hand on her mouth. "I'm putting nails on my own casket!"

"This is outrage!" Hikaru fumed. "Zentradi is a part of our society. You are an integral part of humanity. Why would somebody make such a horrid weapon?"

"I don't know," Aylene sighed. "Maybe because UN Spacy has never fully trusted us. Maybe the _Nemea_ was their insurance in case another Zentradi insurrection broke out. Or maybe it's the guarantee that humans, not _miclones_, rule planet Earth."

"And your solution is to destroy the research facility," Max asked rhetorically. "Don't you ever think that you're just giving UN Spacy a reason to use _Nemea_?"

"We are Black-Ops, remember? We never exist," Aylene snarled. "We could reveal this secret, but would you believe _miclones_ that you never knew existed? Destroying the facility is the only way we know to slow down, if not destroy, the development of _Nemea_. That's why we stay here. We'll continue to fight for the sake of our children. _Nemea_ has to be stopped."

"Do you know who UN Spacy fears the most?" Misa said. "The press. Reporters. Newspapers. Mass media. You can't win a weapon contest against UN Spacy. You hit the research facility, they'll make a bigger one. You destroy their ships, they'll bring in SDF-1. But expose this fact to the media," she paused, clearing her throat before continuing, "I guarantee you, UN Spacy will break down into pieces."

"But you have to have a solid proof, something that UN Spacy can't deny," Hikaru added. "Do you have some hard evidence, or all this talk is just a talk?"

Aylene reached into a crate and pulled out a small glass container. Bluish liquid was visible through the clear glass. "This is _Nemea_," Aylene said, "or part thereof. I don't know how advanced it is in development, and I don't want to find out. But this is the real thing, because a lot of _myclones_ lost their lives to get it to me."

"Then let's get to Macross City," Misa rose up. "I know some friends in WNMC that can confirm if this is really a developing weapon of mass destruction. If that is true, I will explode this fact in the media."

"Now wait," Aylene halted her. "You are a war hero, a respected UN Spacy officer. Why would you sacrifice your life for somebody that doesn't exist... like me?"

"I'm not doing it for you," Misa smiled. "I'm doing it for Milia."

"But still, you'll destroy UN Spacy, the one thing that makes you a celebrity."

"We're all outlaws, no matter what we are before," Hikaru joined in. "If you want to do something wrong... do it right!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_**UNS Dauntless, Space,  
**__**August 23, 2012 **_

Misa ran through the ship's condition with Captain Izumi. Everything was in order, and the fuel was still enough to make it back to Earth. The VF-4 _Lightnings_ had been refueled and ready to go. Misa picked up a microphone and established a communication link to the space barge, "Lieutenant Aylene, we are ready to go."

"I appreciate everything you do for us, Commander," Aylene's voice sprung from the speaker. "Let's hope for the best. Detaching securing hook in three... two... one... now!"

As the securing hook was detached, _Dauntless_ was released from the space barge's loading dock. The box-like spaceship began floating in space until Captain Izumi triggered the rockets. A soft jerk enveloped the ship, preceding a continuous low hum that enabled Izumi to obtain total control of the small spaceship.

"This is it," Misa said to Hikaru, Max and Milia. "We're going to make history. If this _Nemea_ is indeed a planned product, we can incite revolts and riots among Zentradi communities. But if it turned out to be a hoax, we're dead. Our lives are over."

"But given the chance, would you still do it?" Hikaru asked. "I would. Biological weapons are wrong, no matter how noble the cause is. UN Spacy should never step into this territory."

"I married a _miclone_," Max tuned in. "I'll do it in a heartbeat. Everytime."

"You don't have to ask me," Milia responded. "I'm fighting for my survival... my race's survival."

"Alright, no regret, then," Misa nodded assuredly. "We're standing up for what we believe. Whatever happens, happens."

"Commander!" suddenly Captain Izumi yelled. "We're being tracked! It's the _Enterprise!_"

Hikaru, Misa, Max and Milia rushed to the bridge. Standing between _Dauntless_ and Earth was ARMD-03 _Enterprise_ in all its glory. All weapons were aimed at the small spaceship, and dozens of _Battroids_ floated around the big ship, guns at the ready. Each _Battroid_ carried a black-and-white Jolly Roger emblem on the canopy protector, a sure sign that the UN Spacy had all the intention to stop Dauntless from returning to Earth.

"You'd better do something about it, Commander," Izumi said, a slight tremor was imminent in his voice. "This ship will not stand a chance against firepower that magnitude."

"Get comlink!" Misa quickly came to the main screen. In five seconds, the screen lit up with Bruno Global's face, puffing smoke from his pipe. "Commander Global, I didn't expect to see you this soon."

"I know Lieutenant Milia Jenius is your friend, Commander Hayase," Global replied. "But she is under investigation for treason. Why did you sacrifice your brilliant career for a possible treason? Now we have to charge you with accessory..."

"I have a proof that UN Spacy is building a weapon of mass destruction aimed at Zentradi people," Misa responded. "This violates so many moral standards. I will bring it to the press."

"You can't do that!" Global screamed. "Think of the consequences! You'll create social turbulence! Listen, Misa, we made that weapon only as the last resource. We can't afford another Zentradi insurrection. _Nemea_ will guarantee our victory should another madman like Quamzin decided to attack humanity."

"We signed a peace treaty with Zentradi. We should accept them as our own family. _Nemea_ is a sign of distrust and breach of treaty. Do you realize how many women and children will die if _Nemea_ is released? Do you realize how many loyal Zentradi like Milia will die?"

"What does it take to stop you from going to the press?" Global spat.

"I want _Project_ _Nemea_ disbanded, and whoever responsible for it to resign."

"You're nuts! You're asking the impossible!"

"Then you have to stop us," Misa said, cutting off the communication line. She turned to Hikaru, put the _Nemea_ container in his hand, saying, "We have Global's confession that _Nemea_ does exist. Your _Valkyrie_ is much faster than _Dauntless_. You have a better chance to reach Earth than I do. Make sure somebody verify and confirm that it is, indeed, a working progress to Zentradi genocide."

"How about you?" Hikaru asked.

"I will always be with you," Misa hugged and kissed Hikaru. "Now go. Make me proud."

"Good luck," Max and Milia tapped Misa's shoulder. "Thanks for everything."

As Hikaru, Max and Milia went to the hangar, Misa came to Captain Izumi. "Go forward slowly. Prepare all guns, but wait for my mark. Let's see how far Global will take this game."

As _Dauntless_ glided forward, the Skull Squadron formed a defensive formation, aiming at the small spaceship. When _Dauntless_ didn't stop, they fired at _Dauntless_' midst. Blinding lights leapt from the cannons, peppering the small spaceship that was coming inbound. Laser strands pelted the armor of _Dauntless_, shredding the armor layer by layer. Fire and smoke enveloped the hapless little spaceship.

"Damage report! Damage report!" Misa yelled amidst quake and explosions.

"Minor damage to armor!" Captain Izumi replied.

"Launch missiles! Now!" Misa ordered.

"Commander, are you serious? You're going to hit the Skull Squadron!"

"We have to clear a path for Hikaru, Max and Milia! Launch the missiles now!"

Missiles leapt from the tubes, attacking the _Battroid_ formation. The Skull Squadron quickly made evasive maneuver, abandoning the defensive formation. A clear path opened up right below _Enterprise's_ hull.

"Hikaru, it's your turn!" Misa said over the comlink. "Don't let me down, sweetheart!"

_Dauntless'_ bay sprung open, and three VF-4 _Lightnings_ blasted off, zipping through the void and the faltered blockade. _Enterprise's_ anti-aircraft guns tried to pick the _Lightnings_, but Hikaru, Max and Milia were much faster than _Enterprise's_ guns.

"Damn! Global's shooting at us for real!" Hikaru winced. "Be careful!"

"Captain Izumi, fire all guns at _Enterprise_," Misa said. "We have to divert Global's attention."

"Commander, we can't take on _Enterprise_," Captain Izumi stated. "If they return fire, we're doomed."

"I know," Misa sighed. "But it's better me than my husband. Fire on my mark..."

Suddenly another squadron arrived and started shooting at _Enterprise_ and the Skull Squadron. The Skull Squadron, still confused, started shooting at the new fighter squadron. But the new squadron, consisting of black _Valkyries_, could match the Skull Squadron's skill. The space quickly turned into a confusing dogfight arena. Meanwhile, _Enterprise_ halted its anti aircraft salvoes, lest it hit the Skull Squadron.

"Don't worry, Commander Hayase," Aylene's voice crackled on the speaker. "The Black Hammer can hold the Skull Squadron until Captain Ichijyo clears to Earth."

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_**Earth Orbit,  
**__**August 23, 2012**_

"Disengage! Disengage!" Hikaru screamed on his comlink. "This is Captain Hikaru Ichijyo, CO of Skull Squadron! You are shooting at Commander Misa Hayase! Disengage!"

Hikaru's plead didn't go anywhere as the Skull Squadron and Black Hammer squared off, while _Dauntless_ and _Enterprise_ stood at the opposite sides of the battle, waiting for the pitched battle to wane. The Black Hammers were as fast as the Skull Squadron. For a moment the Skull Squadron were stunned by their performance. But they quickly adjusted to the Zentradi fighting style, and managed to fight the Black Hammer.

"Hikaru, you go on," Max suddenly dropped out of formation. "Milia and I will take care of Misa."

"No! Stay in formation!" Hikaru protested. "We have to do this together!"

"Hikaru, you're holding _Nemea_," Milia said. "You don't need us. But Misa and the Black Hammer do. It's time for us to pay our debt."

"Alright," Hikaru set his course to Earth as Milia followed Max back to the fighting zone. "Take care of Misa for me."

As Hikaru ploughed through the space, Max and Milia went back toward _Dauntless_. Two Skuller fighters went straight at them, guns blazing. Max and Milia split up, switching to _Battroid_ mode and let loose a barrage of lasers. They didn't intend to hit the Skull fighters, but the Skull fighters switched to _Battroid_ and fired their guns. Fire belched from their guns, showering Max and Milia with deadly lasers.

"This is Max Jenius," Max tried to reason with the Skull fighters. "Cease fire! You are shooting at your own comrades!"

"Surrender and let us take you back to Macross City," one of the fighters responded. "We guarantee your safety. You were one of us once. Don't make us hurt you."

"Milia is innocent!" Max ranted. "How can you forget what she did during the Space War?"

"The UN Spacy Council will decide on that. Just surrender and let us take Milia."

"Not a chance!" Max fired his guns, ripping the arms and legs of the Skull _Battroids_. Smoke and fire from the _Battroids_ billowed as their limbs breached, spilling body parts to the space. The pilots chose to eject.

Meanwhile, Milia went straight toward _Dauntless_ to assist Misa. Three Skull fighters were harassing _Dauntless_, hitting its hull and engines with well-placed salvos. Milia fired her gun to distract the fighters, which quickly dispersed into space to dodge the attack. They returned and fired their guns at Millia. Milia seesawed to evade the attack, but two Skull fighters quickly latched on to her. Although her VF-4 was superior to VF-1S of the Skull Squadron, the Skull's lasers raked her left arm and right leg.

"I'm hit," Milia reported. "Could use some help here."

"Captain Izumi, activate anti aircraft guns," Misa ordered. 'Give the Skull Squadron something else to worry about."

Lasers and missiles leapt from _Dauntless_, forcing the Skull fighters to take evasive maneuver and abandon Milia. Milia swung to the left, then sacked a salvo at a fighter's engine. The heavy-assault fighter staggered and spun in space as the engine erupted in colorful flashes, but Milia was careful enough not to kill the pilot. The other fighter came from her left, spraying missiles and lasers at Milia. Milia cringed to the right, then shot the Skull fighter with razor-sharp precision. One engine exploded, and the fighter spun uncontrollably. The pilot ejected, and the fighter whirled back to Earth.

Meanwhile, Aylene and her Black Hammer were locked in a pitched battle against the Skull Squadron. They concentrated fire at _Enterprise_, gouging the armor. The big _Enterprise_ turned hard right and let loose its missiles. Torrential waves of missiles leapt from the beast, peppering the Black Hammer from every direction. Aylene and a handful of Black Hammer pilots flinched in time, but more than half of the Black Hammer squadron were wiped out. One by one they blasted and exploded in brilliant fireballs.

"We can't hold on any longer!" Aylene cried. "Commander Hayase, they're just too strong!"

"Get behind _Dauntless!_" Misa ordered. "You've done enough. It's my turn now." She cut off the comlink then gave a full salute to Captain Izumi. "Captain, I really appreciate what you did. If I could change history..."

"The honor is mine, Commander," Izumi returned the salute. "I swore my life to Claudia, and you are a good friend of hers. If I had to die today, I'd rather die by your side than Global's."

"Duly noted, Captain," Misa smiled. "Now... let's finish this strong."

* * *

Inside _Enterprise_, Claudia watched in horror as the battered _Dauntless_ teetered in space, smoking, sparking, but confident enough to shelter the survivors of the Black Hammers. The Skull Squadron regrouped in an offensive formation, and waited by _Enterprise's_ side, waiting for the big ship to make its move.

"Claudia, damage report!" Global said.

"Moderate damage to armor, Sir," Claudia reported. "No critical damage."

"Good," Global huffed. "Open communication to Commander Hayase." As soon as Misa's face emerged on the main screen, Global stood from his command chair. "Commander, you know you can't win this battle. Surrender and you'll be treated accordingly. I hate to have to kill you for disobeying order."

"By the time we finish this battle, Hikaru has reached Macross City, and _Nemea_ will be exposed," Misa replied, not a bit intimidated. "Killing me won't change the fact that _Nemea's_ fate has been sealed. But if you ask me to surrender, you're asking me to be someone that I'm not. Milia is innocent, and I'm not giving her up."

"Very well," Global sighed. "Claudia, fire a warning shot at _Dauntless_."

Claudia looked at the screen, shaking as she put her finger on the missile trigger. As a UN Spacy operative and a soldier, she knew she had to follow order. But Misa was her friend, and so was Milia. As much as military career meant to her, her friendship was more important. She retracted her hand from the trigger, then got up and faced Global with defiance, "With all due respect, Sir, I won't do it."

"What? What is wrong with you?" Global fumed. "Misa Hayase, Max and Milia Jenius are not a part of UN Spacy anymore. They gave up that privilege when they decided to engage this rebellious run. Now fire a warning shot at them!"

"No, Commander," Claudia stood firm. "I will not harm my friends."

"You'll pay for this Claudia!" Global hissed. "You are relieved from command! Ensign Thruno, take Claudia's position and fire a warning shot at _Dauntless!_"

Unexpectedly, a young man called Ensign Thruno stepped out of his seat and faced Global the way Claudia did. "My apologies, Commander Global, but I'm with Claudia in this one."

"You too?" Global roared. "Need I remind you that mutiny is a death sentence for shipmates like you? UN Spacy will not take this mutiny lightly. Guards! Take them away from my bridge!"

To Global's surprise, none of the guards moved to carry his order.

"It's seems that Misa's charm exceeds yours, Commander," Claudia smiled. "We know she is in the right. You showed poor judgment in dealing with this delicate matter."

"I show loyalty to UN Spacy!" Global hurled his wrath. "Anybody with an intention to harm UN Spacy is the enemy of UN Spacy, and I have the right to dispose enemies of UN Spacy!"

"UN Spacy stained the peace treaty with _Project Nemea_, and the Zentradi fighters were just fighting for their survival," Claudia replied. "Half of _Enterprise's_ crews are miclones, and I can assure you that all of them are standing where I stand." Claudia took several deep breaths, then said, "Commander Global, I'm sorry, but I am relieving you from command. Guards! Escort Commander Global to his chamber."

Global was about to open his mouth, but the guards moved up on him. They were probably Zentradi, as far as Global concerned. He had no choice but to follow the direction, leaving _Enterprise's_ command center.

"Skull Squadron, this is Claudia LaSalle," Claudia quickly broadcast her message. "I've taken control of the _Enterprise_. Skull Squadron, stand down and return to base. _Dauntless_, you are free to go."

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 **

_**Earth Orbit,  
**__**August 23, 2012**_

Hikaru gritted his teeth as the Earth gravity pulled his _Valkyrie_ through the atmosphere. The fighter started to glow in orange, and the entire cockpit rattled and groaned to sustain the heat. Hikaru felt his hands burning on the joystick, but he persisted, tugging the stick as hard as he could to stabilize his fighter. He opened all air breaks to slow down, and half of the air breaks breached, consumed by great drag and heat. But when Hikaru thought his VF-4 could not survive the entry, the sky turned blue and his fighter slowed down.

Puffing a long relieving breath, Hikaru brought his smoking, steaming fighter gliding to the sky toward Macross City. But his struggle was not finished yet. Halfway to Macross City, four VF-1A intercepted him, aiming all guns at him.

"Captain Ichijyo, we are ordered to bring you to the HQ," one of the pilots hailed him. "Please don't make this harder than it already is."

"I'm holding a proof that UN Spacy is sabotaging the peace treaty with Zentradi," Hikaru answered, holding his joystick firmly. "What you believe in is a lie. I suggest you let me pass."

"Captain Ichijyo, lay down your weapon and surrender," another said. "We are authorized to use extreme force, and we don't want to use it against you."

"Try me," Hikaru throttled up instead. "I'm not stopping."

Hikaru cut off the comlink and quickly raced toward the base. The VF-1A formed an offensive line then fired in unison at the VF-4. Warning sign screamed at Hikaru's ears. He released his chaffs and used his superior speed to elude the missiles. Half of them exploded at the decoys, the other half lost track of him. The VF-1A turned around ad started firing their lasers, ripping Hikaru's structures. The VF-4 bled fire and smoke from its back.

"You fool! You don't know what you're doing!" Hikaru screamed, steadying his fighter. "I'm not the bad guy! UN Spacy is conducting illegal research for genocide, and I have the proof! Get off my back!"

"Our order is to bring you down, Captain, so please stop. We don't want to kill you."

"Fine! You're asking for it!" Hikaru looped back and lined up his guns at one of the VF-1A. His crosshair turning red, he let loose his cannons, sacking a good volley into the hull. The fighter staggered hard as fireball ripped its body, setting up major fire on its hull. The pilot yelled in pain, and as the fighter plummeted to the Earth, he punched out.

Hikaru turned hard toward the back of another VF-1. He switched to _battroid_ mode and fired at a fighter's back. Molten armor sprayed from the impact as Hikaru's fires landed squarely on the fighter's back. Pieces of armor flew in every direction, and an explosion ripped the fighter from inside, breaching its wing. The fighter painfully switched to _battroid_ mode, but Hikaru sank another salvo to the unprotected body. He was careful enough to not kill the pilot, and as the battroid flew haplessly down to Earth, the pilot abandoned the fighter.

"Disengage!" Hikaru roared. "I am not your enemy! Let me pass!"

Instead, the remaining VF-1A locked on him and fired their missiles. Hikaru switched to fighter and hit his afterburner. His fighter dashed in the air, zigzagging left and right to avoid the missiles, but without chaffs the missiles latched on to him like sharks smelling blood. Hikaru banked hard to the right, loosing altitude while punching his afterburner. One of the missiles lost track and floated harmlessly to the space, but the other one kept on his tail. Desperate, Hikaru jettisoned his battroid rifle, and it hit the missiles, creating a shockwave that ripped his flaps apart.

"Rrrgghh!!" Hikaru growled as his fighter trembled amidst the explosion. His HUD flashed, telling him that his VF-4 had reached damage threshold. The two remaining VF-1A lined up behind him. Hikaru knew he was in no condition to fight, so he mashed his afterburner button, bringing his battered fighter to full speed. Macross City was just upon the horizon, and he knew he had to reach it. Otherwise, everything Misa, Max and Milia stood up for would be vain.

The VF-1A fired and sank 2 salvoes at Hikaru's back, blasting one of the engines. The VF-4 shook violently, and tongues of fire licked from the busted engine. Soon the remaining engine lost power, and the VF-4 dwindled. Hikaru quickly switched to _battroid_ mode, and with his last remaining power he forced his _battroid_ to sprint on the street of Macross City. The two VF-1A flew away, but tanks and _destroids_ scrambled the streets and tried to stop him.

Hikaru turned hard left, taking a small alley that brought him to WNMC, the largest broadcasting television in Macross City. He switched to _gerwalk_ and parked, just as two _Excaliburs_ and a horde of infantries arrived. At the same time, reporters and cameramen poured out to the streets, shooting the unlikely standoff. Hikaru looked at the Excaliburs and the infantries, and he could imagine their faces of defeat. He drew the container from his pocket and held it in the air so the reporters and cameramen could see and took pictures of it.

"I am holding a proof of a secret weapon conducted by UN Spacy," Hikaru bellowed. "This is a genocidal weapon that will wipe out the entire Zentradi population. Broadcast this message, so we know what kind of people we are trusting our lives with."

* * *


	11. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_**Macross City,  
**__**August 30, 2012**_

Hikaru, Misa, Max, Milia, and Claudia sat in front of a big screen, watching the news with numerous UN Spacy operatives. The news anchor reported uproar in various parts of Macross City, particularly incited by Zentradi citizen with strong back up from humans. The revelation of _Project Nemea_ had stirred turmoil within UN Spacy, led by Vrlitwhai Kridanik and other Zentradi defectors against current UN Spacy top leaders.

"_Kridanik's manifesto is the abandonment of Project Nemea and the resignation of top UN Spacy leaders that were responsible in starting the biological weapon_," the news anchor reported. "_So far three top generals have resigned, and a cross-departmental team led by Bruno Global is investigating this matter. As for the estranged heroes: Hikaru and Misa Ichijyo, and Max and Milia Jenius, their status had been fully restored and given commendations. Claudia LaSalle, Captain Izumi, and Lieutenant Aylene, who were just as instrumental as Hikaru, Misa, Max and Milia, were also given commendations. It was because of their sacrifice and selfishness Project Nemea could be stopped_."

"I don't understand this," Milia chimed. "Why is Global leading an investigation team? He tried to kill us."

"Perhaps Global's signature was never on any documents of _Project Nemea_," Misa hypothesized. "So nobody could link him to the project. What he did to us was just an act of patriotism, defending the integrity of UN Spacy. For that, UN Spacy gives him the honor to lead the investigation team."

"But..."

"It's called _politics_, dear," Max interjected. "Just let it go. You don't want to go there."

"Well, then," Hikaru said. "The most important thing is _Nemea_ has been stopped. You can rest."

"Thank you," Milia said. "Both of you. And you too, Claudia."

"If Misa didn't drag me into this, I was probably still oblivious about this. So all credits should go to Misa."

"So what are you going to do now, Claudia?" Misa asked.

"They've given me the command of _Enterprise_," Claudia grinned widely. "Can you imagine that? My own ship! Now I'm the one that's giving order to people. How about you? Now that you're back in UN Spacy rank, what's your next adventure?"

"I hate to bust your bubble, Claudia," Misa smiled, "but they gave me the command of SDF-2."

"Holy... damn!" Claudia and Milia squeaked in unison. "A bigger ship?"

"Yes, we're leaving for colonization in a month," Hikaru explained. "The Skull Squadron will come with the colonization armada. It'll be awkward, knowing that some of them tried to kill me, but I'm the commanding officer, aren't I? I can do whatever I want."

"Aw, I'm gonna miss you so much," Claudia said. "Am I gonna miss you too, Max, Milia?"

"No, we stay here," Max said. "They're building another squadron, the Dancing Skull. I'll be the CO, and Milia will be the second-in-command."

"I need to remember that," Claudia chuckled. "I may ask to have you transferred to _Enterprise_."

"Yes, that'll be nice," Milia commented. "Whatever happened to Aylene and Izumi?"

"Izumi is not a socialized person," Claudia explained. "He's back to his home at K2. That's what he ever wants: a cool, dry, quiet place. I heard Aylene was promoted as a test pilot for an experimental new fighter. I don't know where she is."

"Good for her, as long as she's not testing another heinous weapon like the _Nemea_," Max quipped.

"I hope not," Hikaru added. "Otherwise, we'll have to kick her ass."

**THE END**

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**Note:** If you find the ending confusing (especially about Global), think of Global as David Morissey's character in "The Negotiator" movie. Or Karna in "Mahabharata". Or Obi Wan in "Star Wars". Global's allegiance is to UN Spacy, regardless it is right or wrong. He'll do whatever it takes to defend UN Spacy from any threat. The real villains are never mentioned, but I assure you they got what they deserve. I wrote the story this way to make it faithful to Macross Compendium.

Let me express my thanks for **_SulliMike23, Reeven, FraserMage, SithKnight-Galen, Wing Omega _**and **_Starscream_** that were kind enough to leave reviews. I really appreciate your support. I am also grateful to readers that stopped by and read my little fanfic. As an author, it is very nice to know that my writings are appreciated.

Well, this is certainly a different but refreshing exerience than writing BattleTech stories. For readers who are not familiar with me, I mainly write BattleTech stories. Right now I don't have a plan to follow up this story, but if anybody has an idea, I'll be happy to work with him/her. If you like my writing style, check out my BattleTech stories to see more politics and more carnage. But my storylines are predominantly dark, violent, and bleak.

Once again, many thanks, and until next time.


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